#8 TOOL – Lateralus

One of the most progressive rock bands of today has been releasing some of the outstanding records in their almost 2-decade long career. That band is TOOL. Technically accomplished, lyrically and thematically ambiguous, and rock that is as powerful as it is emotive is the name of their game. One of their most acclaimed albums is Lateralus. Originally dropped in 2001, this album has garnered much critical acclaim, and have expanded TOOL’s fanbase as well.

Lateralus has many theories to go along with the album following it’s conception. According to some fans, you can listen to the tracks in different orders, and you will get different story. One such story is the “Lateralus Prophecy“. This story tends to take some of it’s ideas from the Fibonacci Sequence, and mathematical calculation. All in all, it is rather intriguing.

Holographic Gatefold Packaging

The lead-off single, “Schism” was a critical and commercial success, reaching number 2 on the US Modern, and US Mainstream Rock charts. “Parabola” and “Lateralus” failed to chart as highly as “Schism”, but they helped build up a new and rabid fan base for TOOL, as well as snowball the album into the musical culture.

At 78 minutes and 58 seconds, the band pushed the limit on having a single-disc album. A perfect word for this piece of work would be “epic”. Along the grandeur of each track, there is a message, or it is a segue into another song. I can’t describe it any better than if you would listen to it.